Dental instrument



'Nov. 8, 1938.

J. H. BLAIR DENTAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 14,

umm

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Nov. 8, 1938. J. H. BLAIR 2,135,933

DENTAL INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Nev. s, 193s i UNITED STATES A r2.185.933 u DENTAL nvsTnuMnNT rame. n. Buur. sima mana, n. I.. mum-tn Clayes Dental Instrument Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 14, 193s, serial No. :54,301V

z calm. (ci. 12s-4s) parted to the piston and to' the tool secured This invention relates to improvements in dental instruments and more particularly to improvements in instruments of the character employing reciprocating motion.

^ An object of the invention is to provide' a dental instrument having parts thereof mounted f or reciprocating motion, which motion is imparted thereto through the agency of a continuously rotating member.

Another object of the 'invention is to provide dental instruments having reciprocating parts, such instruments being interchangeable with relation to a continuously rotating mem- A further object of the invention is to provide a dental instrument having a part mounted for oscillation, whereby the instrument can used tomassage gums, etc.

A still further object 'of the invention is to provide a dental instrument having a part v mounted for axial reciprocation, whereby the device can be used as l a hammer or amalgam condenser.

In carrying out the above and other objects of of power, such as a small motor mounted in a hand size casing. The shaft, which is intended to be rotated continuously, has a disk at one end thereof from which extends an eccentrically mounted ball for engagement with a reciprocatory member secured in a housing. This housing has a hollow arm or sleeve which fits over the end of the .shaft sleeve and has a cylinder portion, the axis of which is substantially at right angles to the axis of the rotating shaft. In this cylinder is mounted a piston; it vbeing understood that the term "plston is used in the broad sense of meaning a member mounted in a cylinder for movement therein 4whether such v movement be a straight axial movement or rothereto.

In one form of the invention the slot in the nature of' oscillation about the axis thereof. This vform of instrument is particularly adapted for massaging purposes. In anotherform of the invention the slot in the piston extends crossaxially thereof so that the reciprocation of the piston is of a straight axial character which may or may not be accompanied by some slight oscillatory movement, depending upon whether the piston is keyed or otherwise held against such movement. This type of instrument is particularly adapted for use as a hammer or amalgam condenser.v

Otherfeatures, objectsand advantages of the invention will become apparentby reference to the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, wherein,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in sec- -tion of'an attachment embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig.` 4 is `agbottom view of the massage tip shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5.is a section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. v:

Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 'I is an end view of the shaft used 1n the invention.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation partially in section of a modied form of massage tip, Fig. 9 is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 of a further modified form of massage tip.

Fig. 11 is a bottom view thereof. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section of a modification of the invention; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a hand tool embodying the invention.l

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1'to '7, inclusive, I0 indicates an elbow sleeve having an enlarged end portion I l adapted to fit on the end of the customary dental handpiece. The other end of the sleeve is internally threaded as indicated at l2 for the reception of complemental bearing sleeves Il. 'Ihese sleeves are made of semi-cylindrical form so that when the threaded ends thereof engage the threads I2 a. complete bearing cylinder is provided.

Rotatably mounted in the sleeve I 0 is a. shaft,

2 matanzasI part or which is solid as indicated at il and part of which is flexible as shown at I6. The

solid portion has an annular shoulder i1 at one end thereof and has the other end thereof shaped in the form of a circular disk I6 likewise providing an annular shoulder. The split bearing pieces I4 t closely between the shoulder I1 and the shoulder provided by the disk |6. Due to this arrangement the shaft is locked in place relative to the sleeve I6. This sleeve may have a restricted portion I6 to serve as a bearing for the flexible part of the shaft I5 so that the end 26 thereof will be properly aligned for engagement with `the chuck of the usual dental hand-piece.

Detachably secured to one end of the sleeve I6 is a head indicated generally at 25, such head being made up in part of a sleeve portion 26 shaped to fit around the end of the sleeve I6, and the protruding parts of the complemental bearings I4 as well as the disk I6. The remainder of the head is made up of a cylinder 21, the axis of which is substantially at right angles to the axis of the sleeve part 26. 'Ihe lower end of the cylinder 21 has an internal shoulder 26 serving as a seat for a shouldered ring bearing 26. 'Ihe top of the cylinder 21 is` internally threaded for the reception of an externally threaded cap 66 hollowed out to receive a cup-shaped bearing member 6|.

Mounted in the cylinder 21 is a piston 62, the lower end of which is shaped to fit within the bearing ring 26 (as shown at 64) and the upper end of which is shaped to flt within the cupbearing 6| (as shown at 66). This piston 62 has a longitudinal slot 66 cut in the surface thereof in the fashion shown. The piston 62 terminates in a cylindrical part 61 of reduced diameter to ilt in the bore 66 of a massage tip retainer 66. 'I'his member 66 has a bead or knob 46 which is counter-bored for the reception of an .attaching screw 4| threaded into an internally threaded aperture 42 in the piston 62. The base of the member 66 has a slot 44 therein so constructed as to have substantially parallel side walls. 'I'he lower end of the part 64 of piston 62 is flattened as at 45 to ilt snugly between the parallel side walls of the groove.44.

The head 25 is retained on the end of the sleeve I6 by means of a spring 4 6, one end of which is secured to the 'sleeve by a screw 41 and the other end of which is provided with a depending hook part 46. The sleeve 26 has a detent 46 to receive this hook part 46. An aligning screw 56 is fastened to thesleeve I6 on the opposite side thereof from the spring 46. The sleeve 26 has a slot 5| therein to nt around the head of the screw 56. This arrangement aids in aligning the head 25 on the sleeve I6 and also serves to prevent rotation of the sleeve 26 about the sleeve I6.

The disk I6 on4 the end of the shaft I5 has a ball 55 extending therefrom, which is eccentrically mounted on this disk as shown clearly in Fig. "I and is of such size as to t within the slot 66 in the piston 62.

The operation and use of this tool is substantiallyV as follows: With the parts in the position shown, rotation of the shaft, including the parts I5 and I6 by the customary mechanism employed in a dental hand-piece, causes rotation of the disk |6 and eccentric motion of ball 55. Since this ball 55 fits in the slot 66 of piston 62, eccentric motion thereof causes oscillation of this piston about this axis. The slot 66 is of such length as to permit the ball to move up and down there-l the full line showing of the ball indicates the neutral position of the piston, while the dotted line showings of the ball indicate the limits of movement imparting oscillation to the piston 62.

'I'his oscillatory movement of the piston is used for mg the gums of a patient or for any other massaging treatment which may be desired. To this end massage tips of various formations are used in connection with the instrument. Three forms of tips have been shown in the drawings. In Figs. 3 and 4 a tip 66 is illustrated, such tip having a socket in the base thereof to llt around the bead or knob 46 of the tip retainer 66. made of rubber or some other flexible. and preferably, resilient material. The end thereof is hollowed out and is provided with inwardly ex tending ribs 6|. In Figs. 8 and 9 a slightly differently shaped tip 64 is shown. 'I'his tip has a socket in the base thereof to engage the tip retainer while the opposite end thereof is provided with a plurality of spaced fingers 66.

In Figs. 10 and 1l a still further modified form of massage tip has been shown. This tip 66 has a socket in the base thereof shaped in the same manner as the sockets of the other forms, but the head of the tip is of considerably greater area and is provided with projections 61 so ar- The tip 66 is' ranged as to impart the appearance of a wame.

Other shapes of tips can be supplied and used with the device, the only requirement being that the tips have sockets to fit and engage the tip retainer and that their contact ends be of the con-figuration suitable for the particular purpose intended.

The head is readily detachable from the sleeve |6 and may be replaced with another head |25 of the same general dimensions. and conilgurations. 'Ihe internal mechanism in the head |25, however, differs from that in the head 25.` This head |25 has a sleeve part |26 to fit around the end of the sleeve I6 in the same fashion as the sleeve 26. The cylinder part |21 of this head has an internal shoulder |26 and a shoulder bearing |26. The top of the cylinder is closed by a cap |66 hollowed out for the reception of a ring bearing member |6I. This cap |66 is screw threaded into the top of the cylinder |21. The piston |62 in this embodiment of the invention is of axial length less than the dis- |6|. The lower end of the piston is in the nature of a hollow cylinder 64 which may be split' as shown atV |66, thereby causing this cylinder to serve as a spring socket for the reception of a suitable tool shown generally at |56. The upper end of the piston |62 has a portion |65 iltting within the bearing ring |6I. A slot |66 is provided in this piston also, but instead of extending longitudinally of the piston as in the case of the slot 66, the slot |66 extends crossaxially of the piston.

When a head |25 has been secured to the end of a sleeve I6 in the same fashion as previously described, the ball 55 fits in the slot |66. Rotation of the shaft associated with the ball 55 causes eccentric movement of the ball about the axis of the shaft, thereby imparting up and down motion to the piston |62. This up and down motion is straight and may be accompanied by slight oscillatory motion unless the piston is keyed in some suitable fashion against -tance between -the bearing |26 and the bearing such oscillatory motion. So far as the use of the device is concerned the oscillatory motion is not detrimental, but under somecircumstances it may be desirable to key the piston.

against any motion other than straight axial reciprocation.

The tool has a shank I5| of slightly larger external diameter than the internal diameter of the socket |34. This .difference in diameters assures that the shank will be frictionally held in the socket. The tool |50 terminates in the head |52 in the end of a small hammer head.

This tool is intended primarily for use as an amalgam condenser or hammer. A dentist in filling a tooth naturally drills a cavity therein and then fills this cavity with amalgam. By using this tool the amalgam can be condensed in the cavity, the repeated blows imparted by the tool insuring that the amalgam will be forced into all crevices of the cavity, and at the same time the mercury content in the amalgam is forced therefrom so that it can be readily removed, thereby eliminating the harmful effects inherent in the mercury. The head |26, of course, can be used in conjunction with any suitable tool other than a hammer wherein axial reciprocation is desirable. The socket |34 will serve to receive the shank of any specially designed tool.

In Fig. 13 a hand-tool which canbe used apart from the usual dental hand-piece has been shown. This tool comprises a motor housing shaped to llt readily the vhand of a user. Within the housing is secured a motor l6| energized from a suitable source of current through the oonductors |62. The motor has a shaft |64 to which is coupled the end of a flexible shaft |65. This flexible shaft |65 is mounted in a sleeve |66 one end of which is flared as at |61 to t around the end of the motor housing |60. The other end of the sleeve |66 is shaped in a manner corresponding to the sleeve I0 so that a head 25 or a head |25 can be locked thereto. A spring 46 serves the same purpose as the spring 46 previously described. Inasmuch as the motor housing and motor. per se, forms no part of the invention, these parts have been illustrated more or less diagrammatically and are not described in detail. Any type of motor mounted in a suitable housing will suflice for the purposes of this invention.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a dental tool made up as illustrated in two forms, which tool serves to translate rotary motion into reciprocatory motion which may be either axial or rotation about the axis of a driven member. The two forms of the tool, namely, that in which a piston is axially reciprocated and that in which a piston is oscillated, are mounted in heads which can be substituted one for the other either on the attachment for the dental hand-piece or on a self-contained motor driven member. This translation from rotary to reciprocatory motion is useful particularly in the dental art for a number of purposes, two of which have been set forth, namely, for massaging gums, etc., and for hammering or condensing amalgam.

I claim:

l. A device o1 the character described comprising a sleeve, a rotatable shaft therein, a member extending from one end thereof eccentrically relative to the shaft, a housing attachable to said sleeve, and a piston in said housing, said piston having a longitudinal slot therein for the reception of said eccentrically mounted memberwhereby rotation of said shaft causesoscillation of said piston about the axis thereof, said piston being held against axial movement.

2. A device of the character described comprising a sleeve, a rotatable shaft therein, a member extending from one end thereof eccentrically relative to the shaft, a housing attachable to said sleeve, said honsing being made up of a tubular portion fitting around the end of said sleeve and a cylinder at substantially right angles to the tubular portion, and a piston in said cylinder, said piston having a longitudinal slot therein for the reception of said eccentrically mounted member whereby rotation of said shaft causes oscillation of said piston about the axis thereof, said piston being held against axial movement, said piston having a work end extending through said housing with a knob on the end thereof to fit in a socket in a massage tip.

JAMES H. BLAIR. 

